I was struck by the Quranic Verses on Jesus and the Virgin Mary

What is the biggest tragedy in the world? Who suffered the most
touching end on this earth? Believe it or not, in my opinion, it was
Toltstoy who went through the biggest tragedy.

What a touching one end it was, what a heart wrenching end. The few
lines introducing him usually say: "Tolstoy's inner search and
struggle to reach Allah lasted his entire life-span. He was not
understood throughout his life. His wife and closest relatives are
among those who did not understand him. This man, who felt a burning
desire to search throughout his life, ran away at the age of 82 on a
rainy night and fell ill. On October 7, 1910, in a modest railway
station, he passed away just as he was about to take off for the first
stop toward his destination, Istanbul. Where was he heading to,
Sultanahmet or Eyupsultan? Was he running away from the void inside of
him? Or was his quest to go and meet Rab in sujud (prostration) where
the foreheads shine with the purest tawhid (belief in the unity of
Allah).. O! What a touching end his was. They say, "Those who have not
tasted wouldn't know," I alone know of this unfortunate genius.

I was secretly baptized

I was born to a father whose belief was not strong and a plain
Orthodox mother in Ukraine. My father had secretly baptized me in a
village church. I grew up with a belief in only one-God (monotheism)
despite communism's prohibitions. I used to love Easter. I would try
to fast the 40 days before Easter as much as I could. As a family, we
used to wait for Maundy Thursday before Easter. "Who am I? What is my
purpose? Where did I come from? These did not make sense to me back
then. I only wanted to prepare for a good future by studying at a good
university--that was all. Following my quite bright school years, I
studied Management in English at the best university in the country.
Life passed quite beautifully until I turned 20.

At that point, I fell into a trap of tough questions. Thousands of
questions flocked into my mind like so many grasshoppers. God, Jesus,
humans, the world, life, death, paradise, hell, eternity, coincidence,
nature…then absence, an eternal one. All these thoughts become a leech
that sucked my brains out, but I could not find answers to them. I was
feeling all alone in a dark room. Every time I made a great leap
forward to get out, I would roll back into an infinite void. I was
spiraling down. There was neither a light nor a branch to hold on to.
Worst of all, I could not make my voice heard by any ears (if they had
heard my screams, even the lions would have been badly frightened). No
one around me understood me, so they could not help me. They kept
saying: "You are pretty, successful. Why don't you just eat, drink and
enjoy yourself? Do not put such pressure upon yourself." As if I did
not want this. As if I was not trying everything, from mind games to
uttering nonsense! , to rid myself of these thoughts that were taking
all the pleasure from my life. No, I could not manage it; it was
useless. Nothing that I tried went beyond a dressing on the wound. The
moments when I managed not to think were the happiest moments. When
those seconds passed, I was once again left with the void, the dark,
and the coldest loneliness. I fluttered in the lap of this torment for
exhausting days and sleepless nights for five years circling around
hospitals and psychologists…but nothing. My only consolation
throughout this whirlpool was the inspiration by my dear mummy. Both
the grief and the joy were from God. I kept begging for him to save me
during all these sleepless nights. Finally, I left the house believing
that I would find the cure by going abroad, more accurately, I run
away from the dark I had fallen into just like Tolstoy.

The darkness was inside me

I succeed to pass my master examination and headed to Austria-- a
brand new country, a new environment, and new people…I thought the
dark room would stay in Ukraine, but it did not. In addition, my dark
room grew to cover all of Austria. Now, it dawns on me that the
darkness was inside me. If I had headed for the sun, let alone
Austria, I would not have been able to see a single light. What an
awful and bizarre thing to be stuck in the dark even when you are
exposed to the sun… I was spending my life in this mood, lonely in
crowds, dark under the light. If one had said there was only
individual who is fully experiencing loneliness on earth, I would have
undoubtedly said it was me. Actually, I had some friends, but one
remains alone among thousands if those friends are not nearby and if
there is no shoulder to cry on during the difficult times no matter
what the reason. Absolute loneliness. In this sense, I was completely
alone. The days were passing by, but there was no o! ne near me, not a
friend, not a phone call, not a letter. There was me and the void;
there was me and the loneliness as well.

Pray, my child

From the outside, I am seen as a successful student with a bright
future. No one knew about the storms within me. I embraced books
believing that I would go crazy if I did not find something to keep me
up. I was reading Coelho, Tolstoy, and Turgenyev and memorizing
Ahmotava's poems. Moreover, I was writing on my own and learning a
foreign language…. I was very seriously reading the Bible; I was
begging for God to strengthen my love for him and lead me to the right
path. I enrolled on Orthodox web sites to share my loneliness; my
printer was printing passages of the Bible non-stop. I was
corresponding with a priest, and with the owner of a printing house
that publishes religious works. In order to strengthen my knowledge,
to find answers to the gnawing questions, and to escape from the
loneliness that possessed me, I would enter chat rooms on these web
sites and chat with people. However, the disgusting talk found online
turned me off. I was attending churches and talking ! to priests with
the intention of seeking answers to my gnawing questions. But they
would politely avoid all my questions in general, but particularly the
ones about God. "Pray my child," they would say. I was praying, not to
Jesus but to God. And what I did not understand was why people were
praying to Jesus and not God. The creator of both the world and Jesus
was God. In that case, why was God the only one not being prayed to?

I was at the station too

I couldn't find what I was looking for in the Orthodox chat rooms or
in the churches. And one day, I found myself at a station just like
Tolstoy. I waited alone with the helplessness of not knowing how to
escape from that dark room. As I was looking around the station
uncounciously, I noticed a girl my age. She was wearing a white
headscarf and a white suit and had a laptop on her shoulder. I sighed,
"She is so lovely and elegant!" At that moment, she suddenly turned
toward me and met my eyes. What an amazing brightness she had in her
face…what an illumination in her eyes. She had the _expression of
tranquility of a wise man that had solved all the enigmas in spite of
her young age. She was calm and self-confident and had a down to earth
posture; her eyes were full of love. And the lovely smile on her
lips…I cannot describe it. I kept watching her with admiration. I
would have gone over to meet her if I had not minded being
embarrassed. I wanted to say, "For God's sake, gi! ve me some of your
peaceful manner. And the shining in your eyes and the smile on your
lips as well…please! Please! But a train came right then and took her
away. I yearned to be look like her. Elegance in white-- that
tranquility struck me.

My new friends… My friends…

After this girl with the headscarf set my soul on fire and then
disappeared, I made a lot of friends through one of the university
students who covered themselves like her. They invited me to a
fast-breaking dinner (iftar) during the month of Ramadan. I was
attracted to their firm faith in Allah and their sincere worship.
Because I loved God very much.

I did not feel like a stranger when I was with them. And that aside, I
felt like I was getting closer to my beloved God when I was with them.
They never kept me at a distance. They behaved like I was one of them.
I was never exposed to even a single look of blame or shame because of
my Christianity. This was true with both the Muslim ladies and Muslim
men around me. We would sit together and chat. I never met any
suggestions of "converting to Islam" in any of these talks. "This is
what we do. What is it like for you?" was the key phrase of our
conversations most of the time. They were not only telling me
something, but also asking for significance of our fasting and the
meaning of our prayers and icons. I too, was explaining as much as I
could. I cannot express how peaceful I felt when I was with
them…although there was still no light penetrating my room, it was OK,
because I was not alone anymore. From now on I had friends. My new
friends…My real friends.

There cannot be more than one God

Conversations with my new friends were opening brand new horizons
before me. "All the roses in the world are similar. All the apples,
bees, and people are the same. That is because they are the products
of the same mill; they were woven at the same loom. In other words,
their creator is the one and only. He is Allah and there is only one
Allah, there cannot be many."

I was accepting of all the things in Islamic teaching that argue about
God, faith and the prophets. The Quranic verses about Jesus almost
struck me. I was deeply impressed by the existence of a surah [a group
of Quranic verses that forms a chapter] in the name of the Virgin
Mary, because there was no surah for Mary even in the New Testament.
And I was shocked when I learned that the Quran is the same in Turkey
and as in Indonesia, and that these people can worship at the same
time.

"O Lord, illuminate my way!"

In the 40 days before Easter when the days of fasting begin for
Orthodox Christians, I, in all seriousness this time, started fasting.
My intention was to prove to God how much I loved Him. I was praying
all night long for Him to lead me to the right path. I was pondering
over the things my new friends told me, I was striving to figure out
if what they said could be true or not.

My brain was transformed into an arena of thoughts. I was suffering
greatly because I had not come to a conclusion. In this way, I was
fasting, crying, and praying for Him to illuminate my way. Finally, I
realized something very critical: One single Creator has created this
universe. He created us, too. He furnished this world for us. He is
our Lord. And it is our duty to find a way to reach Him. Yes, I had
understood this, but which path goes to God? Is it the belief that I
have devoted myself to up until today? or is it Islam? Alas, once
again the pain, the tears, and once again, the anguish… anguish. One
supplication followed another. My God, illuminate my way and lead me
to the path you desire. I had almost accepted every teaching of Islam,
but I was a Christian. I sometimes used to grumble, "Oh! God why did
you not create me as a Muslim? One day, I asked this of a woman that I
was chatting with on the internet. She replied by sending me a
message.

And like Abraham… and like Jesus and Ezra… and like Moses and Aaron…

I read the message. I could not believe what I read. I read it once
again, and again and again. I was overjoyed. Every molecule in my body
was shivering with excitement. I wanted to shout at the top of my
voice. After I took a stroll around my room, I sat down at the table
again and read the message one more time. The message started with a
saying by Mohammed (peace be upon him): "Every baby born is born by
nature in Islam. Afterwards, they are taught to be Christian and
Jewish by their parents." So, my reproach to God was in vain. That is
to say, God had created me as a Muslim. The lady who sent this message
to me wrote that she had seen the film "Passion" which explores the
last 12 hours of Jesus Christ in accordance with the Holy Book and
wrote:" The film's sound track was in Aramaic, the original language
of Jesus Christ and Jesus in the movie was addressing God using the
name "Allah" like the Muslims do… This is not the only similarity
between Christianity and Islam.! I am sending the most important ones
to you.

Prayer:

-"You must have seen how Muslims practice their prayer. We stand up
and recite Quran. Afterwards, we bow our heads and put our palms on
our knees and then we kneel down and prostrate.

Listen to the Holy Book:

Psalms 95:6: Come let us bow down in worship, Let us kneel before the
LORD our Maker

Numbers 16:20-22…But Moses and Aaron fell face down…

Genesis 17:3: Abraham fell face down, and God said to him.

Exodus 34:8: Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped.

Nehemiah 8:6: Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; all the people
lifted their hands and responded "Amen Amen!" then they bowed down and
worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

Matthew 26:39: …he fell with his face to the ground …and prayed…

Matthew 17:6:…disciples fell face down to the ground…

Conclusion:

Islam is not a religion that started with Mohammed (peace be upon
him). Islam originated with Adam and continued with the major prophets
Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus and came to perfection with Mohammed
(peace be upon him). Islam is not a new religion. On the contrary, it
is Allah's first and last religion that is kept alive by the tradition
of these prophets. As is said of the other prophets and the people in
the Bible, who are the people that still clean themselves with water
today in order to worship? Muslims! Who are the people whose still
fall face down to the ground and lift their hands to pray? Muslims!
Who are the women that cover themselves to worship and shield
themselves from ill-intended looks? Muslim women! So who is following
the other Prophets' paths and naturally practicing the unaltered
sections of the Bible? Muslims! So if a Christian converts to Islam,
he/she will not be renouncing his/her faith; on the contrary, he/she
will be entering the circle of! servitude. After the dozens of Bible
verses I mentioned above, I am ending my writing with a Quranic verse.

"Our God and your God is one and we have submitted to Him as Muslims."

I do not remember how many times I read this message. My heart was
beating wildly with excitement. I could not contain my tears. I
murmured the sentence from the bottom of my heart, "Our God and Your
God is One." Yes, yes. "Our God and Your God is One." And from now on,
I submit myself to Him as a Muslim. "Thank you, God…Thank you
Go…Allah! Allah! Allah!"

Bismillah, In the name of God…

A gentle breeze began to blow in my withered heart after I converted
to Islam. I did not want to waste even a moment. I practiced my first
prayer at noon. I only knew to say bismillah. I lifted my hand to my
shoulders and said "bismillah" like my real friends did. An
indescribable state possessed me, tears poured down my face as soon as
I covered my heart with my hands. I kept repeating with inexpressible
emotions the one thing I knew. Bismillah…Bismillah…Bismillah… What a
wonderful thing it was. As I said bismillah, I felt as thought I was
climbing the spirals. After I kept still for a long time, I bowed on
my knees. Bismillah… bismillah…bismillah…I stood straight again,
bismillah. At last my parched lips had found water. I almost threw
myself down in prostration like I had found a desert oasis, bismillah.
Bismillah…bismillah… bismillah…Allah, Allah… Bismillah. It was you I
was looking for all these years. It was you I was looking for on
sleepless nights.

Whatever else I said, whatever else I felt are impossible for me to
express. The times that I could not talk or that I found the words to
be inadequate were many. Above all, there was something beyond all the
things that I felt that I wouldn't know how to communicate; I was
feeling deep in my heart that Allah was pleased with me. Actually, I
wrote all these sentences for nothing. The most beautiful thing to
share all along, was the first practice of prayer performed just with
bismillah--indescribable.

And my room filled with light

I grabbed books after the prayer described above. I read and read all
night long. I was finding answers to my questions as I learned Islam
and I felt that I was coming closer to Allah. Everything in relation
to humans, life, the world, and the hereafter were settled. As my life
found meaning, the sun shone over the mountains inside me. The walls
of my dark room were shattered. The walls confining me and its
depressive darkness were gone. Sun… Light. The light that came with
Islam impressed me in such a way that I gave myself a second name:
"Solnyechniy Luç" which means sunlight. I now think, if only I could
be sunlight. If only I could shine on the world of people who continue
to suffer in the quiet and seclusion of darkness.

I have not yet told my family of my decision. I am waiting for the
right moment for this. And I keep praying for them. I am doing my
Masters in international business management. Meanwhile, I am working
as a project manager for an American company. My dreams will be
fulfilled when my family performs sujud in unison. Me, my mother,
brother, and father... I fantasize that we fix our heads in
prostration and utter bismillah bismillah. And I hope to experience
the things that I felt deep in my heart during my first prayer one
more time. I want to feel that my Rabb is smiling at me one more time.

by
Arina Svetlova

Translation to Turkish: Ayjan Esenkanova, Gulseren Yukseleroglu
Translation to English: ZAMAN


This article has been published in one of ZAMAN's supplements for
families, Ailem (My Family).

*{[And remember] when Allah said: O Jesus! I will take you and raise you to Myself, and cleanse you of those who disbelieve; and I will make those who follow [you] superior to those who disbelieve until the Day of Resurrection. Then to me you will [all] return, and I will judge between you as to that wherein you used to differ. And as for those who disbelieve I will punish them with severe torment in this world and the Hereafter; and they will have no helpers.}* (Aal `Imran 3:55-56)

*{And their saying [is] ‘we slew the Messiah, Jesus Son of Mary, Allah’s messenger’ – They slew him not nor crucified him, but it appeared so to them. And those who disagree concerning it are in doubt thereof; they have no knowledge thereof save pursuit of a conjecture. For of a surety they slew him not; but Allah took him up to Himself. Allah is Almighty [and] All-Wise. And there is none of the people of the Book [the Jews and Christians] but will believe in him before his death, and on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness against them.}* (An-Nisaa’ 4:157-159)

*{He [Allah] has ordained for you the same religion as that which He ordained to Noah, and that which We inspired in you [Muhammad], and that which We ordained to Abraham and Moses and Jesus, saying: Establish the religion, and make no divisions therein. To those who worship other things than Allah, dreadful is that to which you call them. Allah chooses for Himself whom He will, and guides to Himself him who turns [in repentance to Him].}* (Az-Zukhruf 42:13)

Why Muhammad did not Die for Muslims Sins?

from yasir

 

Though he is a mercy to all, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) did not die for Muslims' sins. It is to be made clear that the entire concept of someone dying for our sins is in utter contradiction with the Islamic view of the nature of man and God. In Islam, every individual is responsible for his/her own salvation. Everyone, male or female, can directly approach God without any intermediary of a prophet, saint or priest. 

"In order for us to be able to understand the Islamic position regarding this issue, it is important to be clear about certain points.

First, Islam, unlike Christianity, does not teach a concept of “original sin”. Adam’s sin was his and his alone; and, according to the Qur’an (for the Qur’anic narration of the story of Adam and Eve, see: the Qur’an: 2: 30-39; 7; 19; 17: 61; 18: 50; 20: 116-17, etc.), God forgave both Adam and Eve when they turned to God in repentance; accordingly they were once again restored to divine mercy. Hence there is no concept of Adam passing on to his progeny an original sin, and therefore no need for stipulating a redeemer for such sins.

Second, as there is no original sin, every one is born into a state of fitrah, a state of natural innocence; sin is acquired later by our own conscious and willful actions. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Every child is born into a state of fitrah or natural state of innocence.” 

Third, Islam teaches that God is All-Compassionate and All-Merciful; He is not bound by the rule of a blood sacrifice in order to forgive His servants. To assume that God can forgive only by accepting a blood sacrifice and therefore to state that Jesus or Muhammad died for our sins is not acceptable in Islam. Allah says: “O My servants who have wronged against their souls! Do not despair of Allah’s mercy! For Allah forgives all sins; for He is indeed Forgiving, Compassionate. Turn to your Lord repentant, and submit to Him before the torment overtakes you when you shall not be helped.” (Az-Zumar: 53-54)

 Fourth, Islam teaches that every individual is responsible for his/her own salvation. Not Abraham, or Moses, or Jesus, or Muhammad can save us; they are only capable of saving themselves through God’s grace. In the words of the Qur’an: “Whoever commits a sin commits it only against himself. Allah is Knowing, Wise.” (An-Nisa': 111); “Allah does not charge a soul with more than it can bear. It shall be requited for whatever good and whatever it has done.” (Al-Baqarah: 286); “Each soul earns only on its own account, nor does any laden (soul) bear another’s load.” (Al-An`am: 164) “He who is rightly guided, it is for himself; and he who goes astray, it is to his own detriment. No soul can bear another’s burden.” (Al-Isra': 15)

 Fifth, everyone, male or female, can directly approach God without any intermediary of a prophet, saint or priest. God is closer to us than our own jugular veins. Almighty Allah says in the Qur’an: “We created man, and We know the promptings of his soul, and We are nearer to him than his own jugular vein.” (Qaf: 16) “When My servants ask you about Me, tell them I am nigh, ready to answer the prayer of the suppliant when he/she prays to Me; therefore let them respond to Me and believe in Me, that they may be rightly guided.” (Al-Baqarah: 186)

So the entire concept of someone dying for our sins is inimical to the Islamic world-view or understanding of the natures of man and God. Islam beckons us all to respond to God’s message and receive His grace and salvation through faith, good works and leading a responsible moral and ethical life."

Christians say that "GOD LOST His only son to save us". To whom did God lose Jesus if he owns the whole universe?

1. If it was agreeable with God’s Majesty to have sons, He could have created a million sons the like of Jesus. So what is the big clear deal about this only son?

2.Why does the Bible say that Jesus wanted to die on the cross, when the one on the cross was shouting "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" according to Matthew 27:45 and Mark 15:33?

3. If God had wanted to save us, couldn’t He have done that without sacrificing Jesus?

4. God is Just, and justice requires that nobody should be punished for the sins of others, nor should some people be saved by punishing other people. Doesn’t the claim that God sacrificed Jesus to save us because He was Just, contradict the definition of justice?

5. People sacrifice things they have to get something they don’t have when they can’t have both. Christians say that "God SACRIFICED His only son to save us". We know that God is Almighty; to whom did He sacrifice Jesus?

6. A real sacrifice is when you can’t get back what you have offered , so what would be the big deal about such a sacrifice if God could recover the same offering? (according to the Christians’ terminology)?

7. If all the Christians are saved through Jesus and are going to Heaven no matter what they do, then the teachings of Jesus are irrelevant and the definition of good and bad are also rendered irrelevant. If this is not so, then do Christians who believe in Jesus yet do not follow his teachings nor repent go to Hell?

8. How can Christians take deeds as irrelevant after becoming one when Jesus says in Matthew 12:36; "But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the Day of Judgment. For by the words thou shalt be justified, and by the words thou shalt be condemned"?

9. Christians say that people go to Heaven ONLY THROUGH JESUS, yet Paul says in 1 CORINTHIANS 7:8-16 that the unbelieving husband is acceptable to God because he is united with his wife and vice versa, and their pagan children are also acceptable to God. So people can go to heaven without believing in Jesus according to this.

10. How come the Bible says that ALL Israel is saved although they don’t believe in Jesus? Doesn’t that contradict the claim in the Bible that the only way to heaven is through Jesus?

11. According to Christians, those who have not been baptized will go to Hell. So even the infants and babies go to Hell if not baptized, since they are born with an inherited original sin. Doesn’t this contradict the definition of justice? Why would God punish people for sins they never committed?

  

 

The Tree

  Please someone find me

I want to find the light

but no one is there to guide me

Open the door someone give me it's key....   My eyes were closed but now i can see

Please guide me there i want to be free

I want to be under the shade of that tree

That tree seems to give ease

It was always there but I never cared

But even though I didn't care always at it I use to stare

It seemed always so just and fair

And always looked over its leaves with love and care

Now I really think I need a share

A tree like it I can't compare

Of that tree i need to get a piece

If I get it than I will surely get peace

Don't you wonder what tree is that?

My friend, that tree is Islam.

Be a leaf and accept islam

Be a leaf and you will be calm

by : Zakaria Amara

 
source : [MyIslam]@yahoogroups.com

Bismillaahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem

AL-QUR`AN, The Miracle of Miracles

Ahmed Deedat

Say: If the whole of mankind and jinns were to gather together to produce the like of this Qur`an, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they backed up each other with help and support.

What is a miracle?
I think it is necessary that we have a clear picture of what we mean by a miracle. Here are some definitions:-

"An event that appears so inexplicable by the laws of nature, that it is held to be supernatural in origin or an act of God." "A person, thing or event that excites admiring awe." "An act beyond human power, an impossibility."

It is logical that greater the impossibility, greater the miracle. For example, should a person expire before our very eyes and is certified dead by a qualiified medical man, yet later on a mystic or a saint commands the corpse to 'arise!', and to everybody's astonishment the person gets up and walks away , we would label that as a miracle. But if the resurrection of the dead took place after the corpse had been in the mortuary for three days, then we would acclaim this as a greater miracle. And if the dead was made to arise from the grave, decades or centuries after the body had decomposed and rotted away, then in that case we would label it the greatest miracle of them all!

A Common Trait:
It has been a common trait of mankind since time immemorial that whenever a guide from God appeared to redirect their steps into the will and plan of God; they demanded supernatural proofs from these men of God, instead of accepting message on its merit.

For example, when Jesus Christ (pbuh) began to preach to his people - "the children of Israel" - to mend their ways and to refrain from mere legalistic formalism and imbibe the true spirit of the laws and commandments of god, his 'people' demanded miracles from him to prove his bona fides ( his authenicity , his genuineness), as recorded in the christian scriptures:

Then certain of the scribes and the phairsees answered, saying master, we would have a sign ( miracle ) from thee. But he answered and said unto them, "an evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign (miracle) and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas ( matthew 12:38-39 holy bible)

Though on the face of it, Jesus (pbuh) refuses to pamper the jews here, in actual fact, he did perform many miracles as we learn from the gospel narratives.

The holy bible is full of supernatural events accredited to the prophets from their lord. In reality all those 'signs' and 'wonders' and 'miracles' were acts of God, but since those miracles were worked through his human agents, we describe them as the miracles of prophets (i.e. Moses or Jesus (pbuh) by those hands they were performed).

Quirk Continues:
Some six hundred years after the birth of Jesus(pbuh), Muhammad (pbuh) the messenger of God was born in Makkah in arabia. When he proclaimed his mission at the age of forty, his fellow countrymen, the mushriks of makkah made an identical request for miracles, as had the jews, from their promised Messiah. Text book style, it was as if the arabs had taken a leaf from the christian records. History has a habit of repeating itself!

And they say: why are not signs sent down to him from his lord? (holy Qu`ran 29:50)

SIGNS! WHAT SIGNS!!
"Miracles ? Cries he, what miracles would you have? Are not you yourselves there? God made you 'shaped you out of a little clay.' Ye were small once; a few years ago ye were not at all. Ye have beauty, strength, thoughts, 'ye have compassion on one another.' Old age comes-on you, and grey hairs; your strength fades into feebleness: ye sink down, and again are not. 'Ye have compassion on one another': This struck me much: Allah might have made you having no compassion on one another, how had it been then! this is a great direct though, a glance at first-hand into the very fact of things...." "(On heroes hero-worship and the heroic in history,")by Thomas Carlyle.

"This Struck Me Much"
This, that "ye have compassion on one another", impressed thomas carlyle most from his perusal of an English translation. I persume, there verse that motivated this sentiment is:

1. And among his signs is this, that he created for you mates from amonng yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquillity with them. and he has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are signs for those who reflect. (emphasis added) Translation by A Yusuf ALi (Qu`ran 30:21)

2. And one of his signs it is, that he hath created wives for you of your own species that ye may dwell with them, and hath put love and tenderness between you. herein truly are signs for those who reflect (emphasis added) Translation by Rev. J.M. Rodwell(M.A.)

3. By another sign he gave you wives from among yourselves, that ye might live in joy with them, and planted love and kindness into your hearts. surely there are signs in this for thinking men(emphasis added) Translation by N.J. Dawood.

The first example is from the translation by Yusuf Ali, a muslim. The second is by a christian priest the rev. Rodwell and the last example is by an iraqi Jew, N.J. Dawood.

Unfortunately Thomas Carlyle had no access to any one of these because none of them had seen the light of day in his time. The only one available to him in 1840 was as he said on page 85 of his book under referance - "We also can read the Koran; our translation of it, by sale, is known to be a very fair one."

Taint Is In The Motive:
Carlyle is very charitable to his fellow countryman. The motives of george sale, who pioneered an English translation of the Holy Quran, were suspect. He makes no secret of his antagonism to the holy book of Islam. In his preface to his translation in 1734 he made it known that it was his avowed intention to expose the man Mohammad and his forgery. He records: "who can apprehend any danger from so manifest a forgery?... The protestants alone are able to attack the koran with success; and for them, I trust, providence has reserved the glory of its overthrow." George Sale, And he set to work with his prejudiced translation. You will be able to judge how 'fair' and scholarly george sale was from the very verse which 'struck' (carlyle) 'much!' Compare it with the three example already given by a muslim, a christian and a jew: And of his signs another is, that he had created you , out of yourselves, wives that ye may cohabit with them, and hath put love and compassion between you .

I dont think that george sale was a 'a male chauvinist pig' of his day to describe our mates, wives or spouses as sexual objects. He was only keeping to his promise, which carlyle overlooked. The arabic word which he (sale) perverted is 'li-tas-kunoo' which means to find peace, consolation, composure or tranquility; and not 'cohabit' meaning 'to live together in a sexual relationship when not legally married' (the reader's digest universal dictionary.)

Every word of the Quranic text is meticulously chosen, chiselled and placed by the All-Wise himself. They carry God's 'fingerprint', and are signs of God. And yet, the spirtually jaundiced....

Ask For A Sign:
What signs?? They mean some special kinds of signs or miracles such as their own foolish minds dictate. Everything is possible for God, but God is not going to humour the follies of men or listen to their false demands. He has sent his messenger to explain his signs clearly, and to warn them of the consequences of rejection. Is that not enough? The trend of their demand is generally as follows:

In specific terms they asked that he - Muhammad (pbuh) - 'Put a ladder up to heaven an bring down a book from God in their very sight' - "Then we would believe," they said. Or "ye see the mountain yonder, turn it into gold' - "then we would believe." or 'make streams to gush out in the desert' - "then we would believe."

Now listen to the soft, sweet reasoning of Muhammad(pbuh) against the unreasonable and sceptical demands of the mushriks - "Do I say to you, verily I am an angel? Do I say to you, verily in my hands are the treasures of God? Only, what is revealed to me do I follow." Listen further to the most dignified reply he is commanded by his Lord to give the unbelievers.

Say (O Muhammad): 'The signs (miracles) are indeed with Allah: And most certainly I am only a clear warner.!'

In the following ayah the holy prophet is made to point to the holy Qur`an itself as an answer to their hypocritical demand for some special kind of 'sign' of 'miracle' for which their foolish pagan mentality craved. For indeed all miracles are 'signs'; and it is their disbelief, their scepticism, their lack of faith which motivates their request for a sign. They are asked to - 'look at the Qur`an' and again, 'look at the Qur`an!'

It is not enough for them that we have sent down to thee (O Muhammad) the book(al-Qur`an) which is rehearsed to them? Verily, in it (this perspicuous book) is a mercy and reminder to those who believe. (Qur`an 29:51).

Two Proofs:
As a proof of the divine authorship and the miraculous nature of the Qur`an, two arguments are advanced by the almighty Himself:

1. 'that we' (God Almighty) have revealed to you (O muhammed!) 'the book to you' who art absolutely an unlearned person. An 'ummi' prophet. One who cannot read or write. One who cannot sign his own name. Let thomas carlyle testify regarding the educational qualifications of Muhammad -

'one other circumstance we must not forget: that he had no school learnin; of the thing we call school-learning none at all.'

Moreoever the divine author(God Almighty) himself testifies to the veracity of Muhammed's(pbuh) claim that he could never have composed the contents of the holy Qur`an; he could not have been its author:

And thou (O Muhammad) was not (able) to recite a book before this (book came), nor art thou (able) to transcribe it with thy right hand:

In that case, indeed, would the talkers of vanities have doubted (Qur`an 29:48).

The author of the Qur`an is reasoning with us, that had Muhammad(pbuh) been a learned man, and had he been able to read or write, then in that case the babblers in the market places might have had some justification to doubt his claim that the holy qur`an is God's word. In the event of Muhammed(pbuh) being a literate person, the accusation of his enemies that he had probably copied his book (Qur`an) from the writings of the jews and christians, or that perhaps he had been studying aristotle and plato, or that he must have browsed through the 'Torat,' the 'Zabur' and the 'Injeel' and had rehashed it all in a beautiful language, might have carried some weight. Then, 'the talkers of vanities' might have had a poiint. But even this flimsy pretence has been denied to the unbeliever and the cynic: a point hardly big enough to hang a fly upon!

2. 'The book'? Yes, the 'book' itself, carries its own evidence proving its divine authorship. Study the book from any angel. Scrutinize it. Why not take up the author's challenge if your doubts are genuine? Do they not consider the qur`an(with care) had it been from other than Allah, they would surely have found therein much discrepancy.

Consistency:
It is inconceivable that any human author would remain consistent in this teachings and his preachings for a period of over two decades. From the age of forty, when Muhammad (pbuh) recieved his first call from heaven to the age sixty-three when he breathed his last, for twenty-three years the holy prophet practised and preached Islam. In those twenty-three years, he passed through the most conflicting vicissitudes of life. Any man, during the course of such a mission, would be forced by circumstances to make 'honourable' compromises, and cannot help contradicting himself. No man can ever write the same always, as the message of the holy qur`an is: consistent with itself, throughout! Or is it that the unbelievers objections are merely argumentive, refractory, against their own better light and judgement.? Furthermore, the holy qur`an contains or mentions many matters relating to the nature of the universe which were unknown to man before but which subsequently through evolution and discoveries of Science have fully confirmed - a field where an untutored mind would have most certainly lost in wild and contradictory speculations!

Self-Evident Proof:
Again and again when miracles are demanded from the prophet of God by the cynical and frivolous few, he is made to point to the qur`an - message from high - as 'the miracle.' The miracle or miracles! And men of wisdom, people with literary and spiritual insight, who were honest enough to themselves, recognised and accepted al-qur`an as an a genuine miracle.

Says the holy Qur`an: Nay here are signs self-evident in the hearts of those endowed with knowledge: And none but the unjust reject our signs. (qur`an 29:49).

 

Source:http://www.jannah.org/articles/qurdeed.html

the Major Sins

AL- Kaba'ir

1. Associating partners with Allaah (Shirk)

	Great Shirk: worshipping beings other than Allaah (proof all over Qur'ân)
	Small Shirk: Riya

The Prophet (saw), "Should I not inform you of that which I fear for you even more than the dangers of dajjaal? It is the hidden shirk: A person stands to pray and he beautifies his prayer because he sees the people looking at him". (Sahih; Sunan ibn Majah)

2. Committing murder: (Furqan; 68)

3. Performing Sorcery (2: 102)

4. Not performing the Prayers (Maryam: 59)

5. With holding the Zakah (Charity) (3: 180)

6. Breaking the fast of Ramadhan or not fasting in that month without a valid excuse.

Prophet (saw) said, "Islaam is built upon five pillars: testifying that there is no true god except Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, performing the prayers, paying the Zakah, making the pilgrimage to the house, and fasting the month of Ramadhan" (Sahih al-Jami # 2837)

7. Not performing the pilgrimage when one has the ability to do so (above hadith)

8. Disobeying one's parents (al-Isra: 23)

9. Cutting off the ties of relationships (Muhammad: 22)

10. Committing adultery or fornication (al-Isra: 30)

11. Committing sodomy

The Prophet (saw) said, "Allaah will not look at a person (with pleasure) who commits sodomy with a man or a woman" (Sahih al-Jami # 7678)

12. Taking or paying interest (2: 275)

13. Devouring the wealth of orphans (4:10)

14. Forging statements concerning Allaah or forging Hadith (al-Zumar: 60)

15. Fleeing from the battle (al-Anfal: 16)

16. Wrongdoing, deception or oppression on the part of the ruler (al-Shura: 42)

17. Being arrogant, boastful, vain (al-Nahl: 23)

18. Giving false testimony (al-Furqan: 72)

19. Drinking alcoholic beverages (5: 90)

20. Gambling (5: 90)

21. Slandering innocent women (al-Nur: 23)

22. Misappropriating something from the booty (3:161)

23. Stealing (5:38)

24. Committing highway robbery (5: 33)

25. Making false oath

Prophet (saw) said, "If someone is ordered to take an oath and he takes a false oath in order to take possession of property of a Muslim, then he will incur Allah's wreath when he meets Him" (Sahih al-Jami # 6083)

26. Committing oppression (al-Shuara: 277)

27. Levying illegal taxes

Prophet (saw) said, "Do you know who the bankrupt is? The bankrupt form my nation is the one who appears on the Day of Resurrection having performed the prayers, fasted and paid the zakah, but had also abused that person, slandered that person, wrongfully taken the wealth of that person and spilled the blood of that person. These people will take from his good deeds. If his good deeds are thereby exhausted, he will be given their sins and then he will be thrown into the hell-fire" (Sahih al-Jami #87)

28. Consuming forbidden wealth or taking it by any means (2: 188)

29. Committing suicide (4: 29)

30. Being a perpetual liar (3: 61)

31. Ruling by laws other than the laws of Islam (5: 44)

32. Engaging in bribery (2: 188)

33. Women appearing like men and vice-versa

Prophet (saw) said, "Allah's curse is upon women who appear like men and upon men who appear like women" (Sahih al-Jami # 4976)

34. Being a dayyouth

Dayyouth: is the one who approves the indecency of his womenfolk and who is void of jealousy or the pimp who facilitates indecency between two people

Prophet (saw) said, "Allah has forbidden the Paradise to three people: the alcoholic, the runaway slave, and the one who is complacent in the face of the evil deeds that his family is performing" (Sahih al-Jami # 3047)

35. Marrying for the purpose of making a woman allowable for another (Baqarah)

36. Not keeping clean from the remains of urine

Ibn Abbas reported that Prophet (saw) passed by a grave and said, "These two are being punished and they are not being punished for something hard. But it is a great sin. One of them did not keep himself clean form his urine and the other went around spreading tales" (Sahih al-Jami # 2436)

37. Acting for show (al-Maoon: 4-6)

38. Acquiring knowledge only for worldly gain or concealing knowledge (2: 160)

39. Breaching trusts (al-Anfal: 27)

40. Reminding people of one's kindness (2: 27)

41. Denying predestination (al-Qamar: 49)

"If Allah were to punish the inhabitants of the heavens and earths, then He would punish and He would not be doing injustice to them. If He were to have mercy on them, His mercy would be greater than from their actions. If a person had amount of gold equivalent to Mount Uhud or similar to Mount Uhud and spent it in the Path of Allah, (that spending) would not be accepted form him by Allah until he believes in the preordainment of good and evil. And until he knows that what afflicted him was not going to miss him and what missed him was not going to afflict him. If you were to die with any belief other than that, you would enter the Hellfire" (Kitab al-Sunnah by Ibn Abu Asi # 245. Albani says that its chain is sahih)

42. Eavesdropping on other's private conversation (Hujarat: 12)

43. Spreading harmful tales (al-Qamar: 10)

44. Cursing others

Prophet (saw) said, "Abusing a Muslim is evil and fighting him is disbelief" (Sahih al-Jami # 3598)

45. Not fulfilling one's promises

Prophet (saw) said, "Whoever has a four characteristic is a complete hypocrite. Whoever posses any of these characteristics has the characteristics of hypocrisy until he gives it up; whenever he makes a promise, he breaks it up…" (Bukhari)

46. Believing in what soothsayers & astrologers say

Prophet (saw) said, "Whoever goes to fortuneteller and asks him about something will not have his prayer accepted for forty nights" (Sahih al-Jami # 5816)

47. A wife being rebellious to her husband (4: 34)

48. Putting pictures of beings with souls on clothing, curtains, rocks and any other items

Prophet (saw) said, "…the people who will receive the greatest punishment on the day of judgment are those who compete with Allah in creation [those who make pictures or statues]" (sahih al-Jami # 1691)

49. Striking one's self, wailing, tearing one's clothing, pulling one's hair & similar deeds as a form of mourning

Prophet (saw) said, "One who strikes his cheeks or tears his clothing and shouts in the manner of pre-Islamic culture is not one of us" (Sahih al-Jami # 5713)

50. Committing injustice (al-Shura: 42)

51. Being overbearing or taking advantage of the weak, slaves, wives or animals

Prophet (saw) said, "Allah will torture those who torture people in this world" (Muslim)

52. Harming neighbors

Prophet (saw) said, "A person whose neighbor is not safe from his mischief will not enter paradise" (sahih al-Jami # 7002)

53. Harming and abusing Muslims (al-Ahzab: 58)

54. Wearing one's clothes too long, i.e. below the ankles

Prophet (saw) said, "What is below the ankles will be in the hellfire " (Bukhari)

55. Harming the slaves of Allah

Prophet (saw) said that Allah said, "Whoever shows enmity to a slave of Mine (Allah's) I shall be at war with him" (Sahih al-Jami # 1778)

56. Men wearing silk & gold

Prophet (saw) said, "Gold and silk have been permitted for the females of my nation and forbidden for its males" (Sahih al-Jami # 209)

Prophet (saw) said, "Men who wears silk in this world will have no portion [of heavens] in the hereafter" (Muslim)

57. Running away of a slave

58. Sacrificing animals for other than Allah

Prophet (Saw) said, "The one who sacrifices for other than Allah is cursed by Allah" (Sahih al-Jami # 4988)

59. Claiming that somebody is one's father while the claimant knows it is not true

Prophet (saw) said, "One who claims that someone is his father and knows that it is not true will be forbidden of paradise" (Sahih al-Jami # 5865)

60. Arguing or quarreling for show & not seeking the truth

Prophet (saw) said, "Whoever argues in support of something that is wrong and he knows it Allah will be angry with him until he stops" (Sahih al-Jami # 6073)

61. Not allowing excess water to flow to others

Prophet (saw) said, "Whoever doesn't allow the access water or pasture for others will not share in the blessings of Allah on the day of judgment" (Sahih al-Jami # 6436)

62. Not measuring the weights properly (al-Mutafafifeen: 1-3)

63. Thinking that one is safe from Allah's planning (al-Araf: 99)

64. Eating carrion, blood or pork meat (al-Anam: 145)

65. Not praying in the congregation & praying by one's self without a valid excuse

Prophet (saw) said, "Whoever hears the call to prayer and doesn't come to prayer, there is no prayer for him say for the one who has valid excuse" (Sahih al-Jami # 6176)

66. Continually not performing the Friday prayers and congregational prayers without any valid excuse

Prophet (saw) said, "If people don't stop abandoning the Friday Prayers Allah may seal their hearts and they will become headless" (Muslim)

67. Harming others by manipulation one's bequests (4: 12)

68. Being deceitful or deceptive (Fatir: 43)

69. Spying on the Muslims & pointing out their secrets (al-Kalam: 11)

70. Abusing or reviling anyone of the Companions of the Prophet (saw)

Prophet (saw) said, "Do not revile my companions for, by the one in whose hands is my soul, if you were to spend in charity a mountain of gold similar to mount Uhud it would not be equal to a handful or a half a handful (or what they have done)" (Sahih al-Jami # 7187)

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Please make sincere repentance to Allah before as Ali (ra) said, "Today is deed without reckoning and tomorrow is reckoning without deeds". Sincere repentance has four conditions :

	Feeling bad for the sin
	Firm commitment in intention not to repeat sin (whether it happens again is not a condition if one tried his best)
	Make repentance to Allah by Du'a and asking or better crying for forgiveness
	If some person has been wronged because of this sin then one needs to make up to this person. source: muslim youth club e-groups.

Answer to those who ask, "Religion is only a part of life. So, why do people need to live by the Qur'an's values in all aspects of life?"

Religion is not just one part of life; rather, it is a system that encompasses and regulates all aspects of it. Naturally, when we say "religion" here, we are referring to Islam, the true religion. Therefore, such fallacies as: "Religion is only a part of life" and "Devoting oneself entirely to religion is fanaticism" have no place in Islam. Muslims spend 24 hours a day in a manner that will be pleasing to Allah. When rising in the morning, eating, working, going to school, engaging in business or shopping, they abide by the moral values of the Qur'an commanded by Allah and strictly avoid any behavior, which will not be pleasing to Him. The moral values of Islam cover not just part of life, but all of it, and even beyond.

 Advocating an un-Islamic suggestion means accepting some parts of the Qur'an and disregarding the rest. Rejecting some part of the Qur'an, however, means rejecting the entire book, for:

 Do you, then, believe in one part of the Book and reject the other? What repayment will there be for any of you who do that, except disgrace in the world? And on the Day of Resurrection, they will be driven off to the harshest of punishments. Allah is not unaware of what you do. (Qur'an, 2:85

 The religion described in the Qur'an has no room for any doubts or unfounded concerns, given that it relies on having faith in Allah, which is displayed through each believer's unconditional submission to Him and scrupulous observance of His commands and prohibitions. This unique attribute is related in many verses, some of which are given below:

The believers are only those who have believed in Allah and His Messenger, and then have had no doubt, and have struggled with their wealth and their selves in the Way of Allah. They are the ones who are true to their word. (Qur'an, 49:15)

 Say: "My prayer and my rites, my living and my dying, are for Allah alone, the Lord of all the worlds." (Qur'an, 6:162)

… There are men who proclaim His glory morning and evening, not distracted by trade or commerce from the remembrance of Allah, the performance of prayers, and the payment of alms; fearing a day when all hearts and eyes will be in turmoil. (Qur'an, 24:36-37)

As these verses make clear, Muslims truly devote themselves to Allah by making it their sole goal to earn Allah's good pleasure at every instant of life, by seeking the goodness in everything that happens, and pondering about the Hereafter. The Qur'an refers to these Muslims, as follows:

 Those who remember Allah, standing, sitting, and lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and Earth: "Our Lord, You have not created this for nothing. Glory be to You! So safeguard us from the punishment of the Fire." (Qur'an, 3:191)

 We purified their sincerity through sincere remembrance of the Abode. (Qur'an, 38:46)

 Such a noble morality is surely unimaginable for those who have no faith. According to their materialistic point of view, since death is a disappearance once and for all, one needs to make the most of this life. For those people who nurture such a distorted outlook, every moment that does not bring them pleasure is a loss. 

Here, however, we focus our attention on people who claim to have faith in Allah and yet take every opportunity to convey and enforce upon those around them the fallacy that "religion covers only a minor part of life." Under the guise of being contemporary, modern, or enlightened, which are enchanting yet vague terms, they spread their distorted ideas. Allah warns believers against the lies of such people:

 Among the people is someone whose words about the life of the world excite your admiration, and he calls Allah to witness what is in his heart, while he is in fact the most hostile of adversaries. (Qur'an, 2:204)

 Those who fall into this category probably get extremely upset about being called an unbeliever or an atheist. Now and then, they express their gratefulness for being a Muslim. However, their corrupted outlook on life, which manifests itself in such ignorant phrases as "Religion is important, but it should be limited to certain aspects of life" or "Do not ponder deeply about religion, or you may lose your mind," they turn their faces and act arrogantly when reminded of the Qur'an's morality. Allah explains the situation of such people, as follows:

 But there are some people who trade in distracting tales to guide people away from Allah's Way, knowing nothing about it and to make a mockery of it. Such people will have a humiliating punishment. When Our Signs are recited to such a person, he turns away arrogantly as if he had not heard, as if there was a great weight in his ears. So give him news of a painful punishment. (Qur'an, 31:6-7)

 The Qur'an refers to such people as hypocrites, for they are assumed to have an Islamic identity, although they have nothing to do with Islam. Moreover, as they are aware of this fact, they act in ways that do not violate social norms and customs in order to avoid hostile reactions and to persuade people to follow their examples.

By claiming that they have faith, hypocrites seek to maintain their worldly interests. Furthermore, through distorted explanations, they try to alienate other people from the essence of Islam and the Qur'an. Their ultimate aim is to eliminate the people of sincere faith, who are likely to stir up pangs of conscience in them, for:

Among the people are some who say: "We believe in Allah and the Last Day," when they are not believers. They think they deceive Allah and those who believe. They deceive no one but themselves, but they are not aware of it. There is a sickness in their hearts, and Allah has increased their sickness. They will have a painful punishment on account of their denial. When they are told: "Do not cause corruption in the land," they say: We are only putting things right." No indeed! They are the corrupters, but they are not aware of it. (Qur'an, 2:8-12)

 Rather than Allah, these people take their whims and desires as their deities and serve them. The Qur'an relates this situation, as follows:

Have you seen him who has taken his whims and desires to be his deity? Will you then be his guardian? Do you suppose that most of them hear or understand? They are just like cattle. Indeed they are even more astray! (Qur'an, 25:43-44)

Hypocrites will surely suffer the consequences of assuming that they can deceive Allah and believers by professing belief and then concealing their efforts to harm believers and to divert them from the right path. The Qur'an informs us that their punishment will be even more severe than that of the unbelievers, atheists, and irreligious people, for they say lies in the name of Allah and show hypocrisy, insincerity, and dishonesty:

 The hypocrites are in the lowest level of the Fire. You will not find any one to help them. (Qur'an, 4:145)

 As for those people who remain under the influence of hypocrites and thereby develop a rationale of "managing both this world and the Hereafter," Allah relates the following verse:

 Among the people there is one who worships Allah right on the edge. If good befalls him, he is content with it, but if a trial befalls him, he reverts to his former ways, losing both the world and the Hereafter. That is indeed sheer loss. (Qur'an, 22:11)

  source: islam_peace_&_understanding

Muhammad(PBUH)’s Birth and 
Forty Years prior to Prophethood

His Birth:

Muhammad , the Master of Prophets, was born in Bani Hashim lane in Makkah on Monday morning, the ninth of Rabi‘ Al-Awwal, the same year of the Elephant Event, and forty years of the reign of Kisra (Khosru Nushirwan), i.e. the twentieth or twenty-second of April, 571 A.D., according to the scholar Muhammad Sulaimân Al-Mansourpuri, and the astrologer Mahmûd Pasha.[]

Ibn Sa‘d reported that Muhammad’s mother said: "When he was born, there was a light that issued out of my pudendum and lit the palaces of Syria." Ahmad reported on the authority of ‘Arbadh bin Sariya something similar to this.[]

It was but controversially reported that significant precursors accompanied his birth: fourteen galleries of Kisra’s palace cracked and rolled down, the Magians’ sacred fire died down and some churches on Lake Sawa sank down and collapsed.[]

His mother immediately sent someone to inform his grandfather ‘Abdul-Muttalib of the happy event. Happily he came to her, carried him to Al-Ka‘bah, prayed to Allâh and thanked Him. ‘Abdul-Muttalib called the baby Muhammad, a name not then common among the Arabs. He circumcised him on his seventh day as was the custom of the Arabs.

The first woman who suckled him after his mother was Thuyebah, the concubine of Abu Lahab, with her son, Masrouh. She had suckled Hamzah bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib before and later Abu Salamah bin ‘Abd Al-Asad Al-Makhzumi.

Babyhood:

It was the general custom of the Arabs living in towns to send their children away to bedouin wet nurses so that they might grow up in the free and healthy surroundings of the desert whereby they would develop a robust frame and acquire the pure speech and manners of the bedouins, who were noted both for chastity of their language and for being free from those vices which usually develop in sedentary societies.

The Prophet was later entrusted to Haleemah bint Abi Dhuaib from Bani Sa‘d bin Bakr. Her husband was Al-Harith bin ‘Abdul ‘Uzza called Abi Kabshah, from the same tribe.

Muhammad had several foster brothers and sisters, ‘Abdullah bin Al-Harith, Aneesah bint Al-Harith, Hudhafah or Judhamah bint Al-Harith (known as Ash-Shayma’), and she used to nurse the Prophet and Abu Sufyan bin Al-Harith bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib, the Prophet’s cousin. Hamzah bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib, the Prophet’s uncle, was suckled by the same two wet nurses, Thuyeba and Haleemah As-Sa‘diyah, who suckled the Prophet

Traditions delightfully relate how Haleemah and the whole of her household were favoured by successive strokes of good fortune while the baby Muhammad lived under her care. Ibn Ishaq states that Haleemah narrated that she along with her husband and a suckling babe, set out from her village in the company of some women of her clan in quest of children to suckle. She said:

It was a year of drought and famine and we had nothing to eat. I rode on a brown she-ass. We also had with us an old she-camel. By Allâah we could not get even a drop of milk. We could not have a wink of sleep during the night for the child kept crying on account of hunger. There was not enough milk in my breast and even the she-camel had nothing to feed him. We used to constantly pray for rain and immediate relief. At length we reached Makkah looking for children to suckle. Not even a single woman  amongst us accepted the Messenger of Allâah offered to her. As soon as they were told that he was an orphan, they refused him. We had fixed our eyes on the reward that we would get from the child’s father. An orphan! What are his grandfather and mother likely to do? So we spurned him because of that. Every woman who came with me got a suckling and when we were about to depart, I said to my husband: "By Allâah, I do not like to go back along with the other women without any baby. I should go to that orphan and I must take him." He said, "There is no harm in doing so and perhaps Allâah might bless us through him." So I went and took him because there was simply no other alternative left for me but to take him. When I lifted him in my arms and returned to my place I put him on my breast and to my great surprise, I found enough milk in it. He drank to his heart’s content, and so did his foster brother and then both of them went to sleep although my baby had not been able to sleep the previous night. My husband then went to the she-camel to milk it and, to his astonishment, he found plenty of milk in it. He milked it and we drank to our fill, and enjoyed a sound sleep during the night. The next morning, my husband said: "By Allâah Haleemah, you must understand that you have been able to get a blessed child." And I replied: "By the grace of Allaâh, I hope so."

The tradition is explicit on the point that Haleemah’s return journey and her subsequent life, as long as the Prophet stayed with her, was encircled with a halo of good fortune. The donkey that she rode when she came to Makkah was lean and almost foundered; it recovered speed much to the amazement of Haleemah’s fellow travellers. By the time they reached the encampments in the country of the clan of Sa‘d, they found the scales of fortune turned in their favour. The barren land sprouted forth luxuriant grass and beasts came back to them satisfied and full of milk. Muhammad stayed with Haleemah for two years until he was weaned as Haleemah said:

We then took him back to his mother requesting her earnestly to have him stay with us and benefit by the good fortune and blessings he had brought us. We persisted in our request which we substantiated by our anxiety over the child catching a certain infection peculiar to Makkah.[] At last, we were granted our wish and the Prophet stayed with us until he was four or five years of age.

When, as related by Anas in Sahih Muslim, Gabriel came down and ripped his chest open and took out the heart. He then extracted a blood-clot out of it and said: "That was the part of Satan in thee." And then he washed it with the water of Zamzam in a gold basin. After that the heart was joined together and restored to its place. The boys and playmates came running to his mother, i.e. his nurse, and said: "Verily, Muhammad has been murdered." They all rushed towards him and found him all right only his face was white.

Back to His Passionate Mother:

After this event, Haleemah was worried about the boy and returned him to his mother with whom he stayed until he was six.

In respect of the memory of her late husband, Amina decided to visit his grave in Yathrib (Madinah). She set out to cover a journey of 500 kilometers with her orphan boy, woman servant Umm Ayman and her father-in-law ‘Abdul-Muttalib. She spent a month there and then took her way back to Makkah. On the way, she had a severe illness and died in Abwa on the road between Makkah and Madinah.[]

To His Compassionate Grandfather:

‘Abdul-Muttalib brought the boy to Makkah. He had warm passions towards the boy, his orphan grandson, whose recent disaster (his mother’s death) added more to the pains of the past. ‘Abdul-Muttalib was more passionate with his grandson than with his own children. He never left the boy a prey to loneliness, but always preferred him to his own kids. Ibn Hisham reported: A mattress was put in the shade of Al-Ka‘bah for ‘Abdul-Muttalib. His children used to sit around that mattress in honour to their father, but Muhammad used to sit on it. His uncles would take him back, but if ‘Abdul-Muttalib was present, he would say: "Leave my grandson. I swear by Allâh that this boy will hold a significant position." He used to seat the boy on his mattress, pat his back and was always pleased with what the boy did.[]

When Muhammad was eight years, two months and ten days old, his grandfather ‘Abdul-Muttalib passed away in Makkah. The charge of the Prophet was now passed on to his uncle Abu Talib, who was the brother of the Prophet’s father.

Abu Talib took the charge of his nephew in the best way. He put him with his children and preferred him to them. He singled the boy out with great respect and high esteem. Abu Talib remained for forty years cherishing his nephew and extending all possible protection and support to him. His relations with the others were determined in the light of the treatment they showed to the Prophet .

Ibn ‘Asakir reported on the authority of Jalhamah bin ‘Arfuta who said: "I came to Makkah when it was a rainless year, so Quraish said ‘O Abu Talib, the valley has become leafless and the children hungry, let us go and pray for rain-fall.’ Abu Talib went to Al-Ka‘bah with a young boy who was as beautiful as the sun, and a black cloud was over his head. Abu Talib and the boy stood by the wall of Al-Ka‘bah and prayed for rain. Immediately clouds from all directions gathered and rain fell heavily and caused the flow of springs and growth of plants in the town and the country.

Bahira, the Monk:

When the Messenger of Allaâh was twelve years old, he went with his uncle Abu Talib on a business journey to Syria. When they reached Busra (which was a part of Syria, in the vicinity of Howran under the Roman domain) they met a monk called Bahira (his real name was Georges), who showed great kindness, and entertained them lavishly. He had never been in the habit of receiving or entertaining them before. He readily enough recognized the Prophet and said while taking his hand: "This is the master of all humans. Allaâh will send him with a Message which will be a mercy to all beings." Abu Talib asked: "How do you know that?" He replied: "When you appeared from the direction of ‘Aqabah, all stones and trees prostrated themselves, which they never do except for a Prophet. I can recognize him also by the seal of Prophethood which is below his shoulder, like an apple. We have got to learn this from our books." He also asked Abu Talib to send the boy back to Makkah and not to take him to Syria for fear of the Jews. Abu Talib obeyed and sent him back to Makkah with some of his men servants.

The ‘Sacrilegious’ Wars:

Muhammad was hardly fifteen when the ‘sacrilegious’ wars — which continued with varying fortunes and considerable loss of human life for a number of years — broke out between Quraish and Banu Kinana on the one side and Qais ‘Ailan tribe on the other. It was thus called because the inviolables were made violable, the prohibited months being included. Harb bin Omaiyah, on account of his outstanding position and honourable descent, used to be the leader of Quraish and their allies. In one of those battles, the Prophet attended on his uncles but did not raise arms against their opponents. His efforts were confined to picking up the arrows of the enemy as they fell, and handing them over to his uncles.

Al-Fudoul Confederacy:

At the conclusion of these wars, when peace was restored, people felt the need for forming confederacy at Makkah for suppressing violence and injustice, and vindicating the rights of the weak and the destitute. Representatives of Banu Hashim, Banu Al-Muttalib, Asad bin ‘Abd Al-‘Uzza, Zahrah bin Kilab and Taim bin Murra were called to meet in the habitation of an honourable elderly man called ‘Abdullah bin Jada‘an At-Taimy to enter into a confederacy that would provide for the above-mentioned items. The Messenger of Allâh Õáì Çááå Úáíå æÓáã shortly after he had been honoured with the ministry of Prophethood, witnessed this league and commented on it, with very positive words: "I witnessed a confederacy in the house of ‘Abdullah bin Jada‘an. It was more appealing to me than herds of cattle. Even now in the period of Islam I would respond positively to attending such a meeting if I were invited."[]

In fact, the spirit of this confederacy and the course of deliberations therein marked a complete departure from the pre-Islamic tribal-pride. The story that led to its convention says that a man from Zubaid clan came as a merchant to Makkah where he sold some commodities to Al-‘As bin Wail As-Sahmy. The latter by hook or by crook tried to evade paying for the goods. The salesman sought help from the different clans in Quraish but they paid no heed to his earnest pleas. He then resorted to a mountain top and began, at the top of his voice, to recite verses of complaint giving account of the injustices he sustained. Az-Zubair bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib heard of him and made inquiries into the matter. Consequently, the parties to the aforesaid confederacy convened their meeting and managed to force Az-Zubaidy’s money out of Al-‘As bin Wa’il.

Muhammad’s Early Job:

Muhammad , had no particular job at his early youth, but it was reported that he worked as a shepherd for Bani Sa‘d and in Makkah. At the age of 25, he went to Syria as a merchant for Khadijah (RA). Ibn Ishaq reported that Khadijah (RA), daughter of Khwailid was a business-woman of great honour and fortune. She used to employ men to do her business for a certain percentage of the profits. Quraish people were mostly tradespeople, so when Khadijah (RA) was informed of Muhammad , his truthful words, great honesty and kind manners, she sent for him. She offered him money to go to Syria and do her business, and she would give him a higher rate than the others. She would also send her hireling, Maisarah, with him. He agreed and went with her servant to Syria for trade. 

His Marriage to Khadijah:

When he returned to Makkah, Khadijah (RA) noticed, in her money, more profits and blessings than she used to. Her hireling also told her of Muhammad’s good manners, honesty, deep thought, sincerity and faith. She realized that she homed at her target. Many prominent men had asked for her hand in marriage but she always spurned their advances. She disclosed her wish to her friend Nafisa, daughter of Maniya, who immediately went to Muhammad and broke the good news to him. He agreed and requested his uncles to go to Khadijah’s uncle and talk on this issue. Subsequently, they were married. The marriage contract was witnessed by Bani Hashim and the heads of Mudar. This took place after the Prophet’s return from Syria. He gave her twenty camels as dowry. She was, then, forty years old and was considered as the best woman of her folk in lineage, fortune and wisdom. She was the first woman whom the Messenger of Allâh married. He did not get married to any other until she had died.[]

Khadijah bore all his children, except Ibrahim: Al-Qasim, Zainab, Ruqaiyah, Umm Kulthum, Fatimah and ‘Abdullah who was called Taiyib and Tahir. All his sons died in their childhood and all the daughters except Fatimah died during his lifetime. Fatimah died six months after his death. All his daughters witnessed Islaam, embraced it, and emigrated to Madinah.

Rebuilding Al-Ka'baah and the Arbitration Issue:

When the Messenger of Allâh was thirty five, Quraish started rebuilding Al-Ka'baah. That was because it was a low building of white stones no more than 6.30 metres high, from the days of Ishmael. It was also roofless and that gave the thieves easy access to its treasures inside. It was also exposed to the wearing factors of nature — because it was built a long time ago — that weakened and cracked its walls. Five years before Prophethood, there was a great flood in Makkah that swept towards Al-Ka'baah and almost demolished it. Quraish was obliged to rebuild it to safeguard its holiness and position. The chiefs of Quraish decided to use only licit money in rebuilding Al-Ka'baah, so all money that derived from harlotry, usury or unjust practices was excluded. They were, at first, too awed to knock down the wall, but Al-Waleed bin Al-Mugheerah Al-Mukhzumi started the work. Seeing that no harm had happened to him, the others participated in demolishing the walls until they reached the basis laid by Abraham. When they started rebuilding its walls, they divided the work among the tribes. Each tribe was responsible for rebuilding a part of it. The tribes collected stones and started work. The man who laid the stones was a Roman mason called Baqum. The work went on in harmony till the time came to put the sacred Black Stone in its proper place. Then strife broke out among the chiefs, and lasted for four or five days, each contesting for the honour of placing the stone in its position. Daggers were on the point of being drawn and great bloodshed seemed imminent. Luckily, the oldest among the chiefs Abu Omaiyah bin Mugheerah Al-Makhzumi made a proposal which was accepted by all. He said: "Let him, who enters the Sanctuary first of all, decide on the point." It was then Allâah’s Will that the Messenger of Allaâh should be the first to enter the Mosque. On seeing him, all the people on the scene, cried with one voice: "Al-Ameen (the trustworthy) has come. We are content to abide by his decision." Calm and self-possessed, Muhammad received the commission and at once resolved upon an expedient which was to conciliate them all. He asked for a mantle which he spread on the ground and placed the stone in its centre. He then asked the representatives of the different clans among them, to lift the stone all together. When it had reached the proper place, Muhammad laid it in the proper position with his own hands. This is how a very tense situation was eased and a grave danger averted by the wisdom of the Prophet .

Quraish ran short of the licit money, they collected, so they eliminated six yards area on the northern side of Al-Ka'baah which is called Al-Hijr or Al-Hateem. They raised its door two metres from the level ground to let in only the people whom they desired. When the structure was fifteen yards high they erected the roof which rested on six columns.

When the building of Al-Ka'baah had finished, it assumed a square form fifteen metres high. The side with the Black Stone and the one opposite were ten metres long each. The Black Stone was 1.50 metre from the circumambulation level ground. The two other sides were twelve metres long each. The door was two metres high from the level ground. A building structure of 0.25 metre high and 0.30 metre wide on the average surrounded Al-Ka'baah. It was called Ash-Shadherwan, originally an integral part of the Sacred Sanctuary, but Quraish left it out.

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Source : Al Raheeq Al Makhtoom  for : Safy El Rahman Al Mubarkafoury.

source: [muslim_youth_club] Life of Muhamed (PBUH) - Before the prophethood.

Islam has denounced vehemently thefollowing acts. At the same time, it has strictly prohibited their practice.

• Sorcery and magic of all types. This is based on the statementreported in the Hadith of Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah beupon him),“ Avoid the seven killing items. People inquired, O Prophet ofAllah! What are these killing items? Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings ofAllah be upon him) said, [These are], 1) Associating others in the worship ofAllah (subhanahu wa ta'ala). 2) Sorcery and magic of all types. 3) Killing aninnocent soul, without any legitimate reason. 4) Accepting, giving and dealingwith usury. 5) Eating up [abusing] the [guarded] orphan's funds. 6) Backing outand fleeing away from the battlefield [upon facing the enemies]. 7) Falselyaccusing innocent female Believers [with fornication, adultery, or moralcorruption]”(This Hadith is reported by both, Bukhari and Muslim).
• Islam condemns aggression and oppression. Islam, in reality,castigates all acts of aggression against others, by word, hand, instrument orelse. Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) states in the Glorious Quran Sura Shura [TheConsultation] 42:42,“ The blame is only against those who oppress menwith wrong-doing and insolently transgress beyond bounds through the land,defying right and justice: for such there will be a Penalty grievous”.
  
  Additionally, Allah, the Almighty, states in the Glorious Quran, Suraal-A'raf [The Heights] 7:33,“ Say: The things that my Lord hath indeedforbidden are: shameful deeds, whether open or secret; sins and trespassesagainst truth or reason; assigning of partners to Allah, for which He hath givenno authority; and saying things about Allah of which ye have noknowledge”.
  
  Moreover, Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings ofAllah be upon him) is reported to have said,“ Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala)inspired me [to say the following]: Be humble so as no one oppresses another andno one brag with pride over another”(This Hadith is reported by Muslim).
  
  Allah, the Almighty, also, states in the Glorious Quran, Sura al-Tawbeh[The Repentance], 9:6,“ If one amongst the Pagans ask thee for asylum,grant it to him, so that he may hear the Word of Allah; and then escort him towhere he can be secure. That is because they are men without knowledge”.
  
  Islam disapproves to deprive people of their assets, infringe upon theirfreedoms, and hurt their feelings, even if they are non-Believers. Islam urgesto support both the oppressed and the oppressor. Allah's Messenger (peace andblessings of Allah be upon him) is reported to have said,“ Support [andcome to the aid of] your brother whether being oppressed, or if he is theoppressor. A man [who heard this statement from Allah's Messenger (peace andblessings of Allah be upon him)] and inquired, I would support my brother if heis oppressed, but what about if he is the oppressor? Allah's Messenger (peaceand blessings of Allah be upon him)asserted, [You support him by] stopping himfrom being an oppressor. That is the way to support an oppressor”(ThisHadith is reported by Bukhari).
  
  Islam does not differentiate the victim,Muslim or non-Muslim. All members of the society, regardless of creed or faithare entitled to full protection of their rights to life, property and wealth.This is based on the statement reported in the Hadith of Allah's Messenger(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),“ He who [unlawfully] kills anon-Muslim, residing under Islamic rule, [and given a pledge of security to beprotected], would not smell the fragrance of Jannah, Paradise. The fragrance ofJannah, Paradise would be smelled at a distance of forty years travel”(This Hadith is reported by Bukhari).
• Islam denounces unkind treatment towards parents. This is based onthe verse revealed in the Glorious Quran, Sura al-Isra [The Night Journey]17:23-4,“ Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that yebe kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, saynot to them a word of contempt, nor rebel them, but address them in terms ofhonor. And, out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say: MyLord! Bestow on them thy Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood”.
  
  This is based on the statement reported of Allah's Messenger (peace andblessings of Allah be upon him) that,“ Allah's Happiness [in a person]stems from the parents' happiness [with their child], and the Dismay of Allah(subhanahu wa ta'ala), also stems from the unhappiness and dismay of parents[from their own children]”(This Hadith is reported by Tirmithee).
• Islam teaches benevolence towards the kindred. This is based on theverse revealed in the Glorious Quran, Sura Mohammed (peace and blessings ofAllah be upon him) 47:22-3,“ Then, is it to be expected of you, if yewere put in authority, that ye will do mischief, in the land, and break yourties of kith and kin? Such are the men whom Allah has cursed for He has madethem deaf and blinded their sight”.
  
  Additionally, this is basedon the report of the Hadith of Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allahbe upon him),“ A person breaking family ties will not enter Jannah,Paradise”(This Hadith is reported by both, Bukhari and Muslim).
  
  Breaking ties with family and the kindred implies many things:
  1. absence of mutual exchange of visits,
  2. carelessness towards the needy relatives;
  3. and indifference to extend financial and social assistance to the destitutefamily members.

Islam appreciates the charitable donation from a richperson to a destitute. However, a charitable donation from a rich family memberto a needy family member carries a double reward. It is a charity, on the onehand, to the poor and needy person. At the same time, however, it is a type ofreunion between family members that is also rewarded by Allah, the Almighty.Similarly, if a person is poor and is unable to extend financial support torelatives, his visit, care and affection, are also rewarded by Allah, theAlmighty. This is based on the statement reported in the Hadith of Allah'sMessenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),“ Establish a goodrapport with your family members and immediate relatives, even by [as little as]greeting them and asking about them”(Reported by Bazzar, Tabaranee andIbn Haithami in Majma Al-Zawaid).

• Islam prohibits misusing the wealth and the assets of an orphan.Orphans are weak and incapable of managing their funds. An orphan guardian is,therefore, responsible, to the best of his abilities, to manage wisely thefinance and the affairs of his guarded orphan. This is based on the verserevealed in the Glorious Quran, Sura al-Nisa [The Women] 4:10,“ Those whounjustly eat up the property of orphans, eat up a fire into their own bodies:they will soon be enduring a blazing fire”.
• Islam despises abuse of authority and the brutality of the governingelite. A Muslim ruler must be honest with his people and must not betraythem in any way. This is based on the verse revealed in the Glorious Quran, SuraIbrahim 14:42-3,“ Think not that Allah doth not heed the deeds of thosewho do wrong. He but giveth them respite against a Day when the eyes willfixedly stare in horror”.
  
  Additionally, this is based on thestatement reported in the Hadith of Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings ofAllah be upon him),“ If Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) entrusted a personwith an authority but the person entrusted did not offer his best possibleadvice to his constituents, such person would be disallowed to enter Jannah,Paradise”(This Hadith is reported by Bukhari).
• Islam castigates all false testimonies. In fact, false testimonies areconsidered major sins. In fact, if a person intentionally insists on doingon a regular basis, he would be considered out of the realm of Islam. Allah, theAlmighty, states in the Glorious Quran, Sura al-Furqan [The Criterion] 25:72,“ Those who witness no falsehood and, if they pass by futility, they passby it with honorable (avoidance)”.
  
  This is based on the Hadith ofAllah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),“ Should Iinform you about the most heinous sins? The Companions [who were in the presenceof Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)] said, Pleasedo. Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) continued, [Themost heinous sins are] to associate others in worshipping Allah, and to be a badand disobedient to your parents. Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allahbe upon him) was leaning on the floor, but he sat straight [i.e. to demonstratethe importance of the following statement he was about to say]. Then he said, togive a false statement and a false testimony. Allah's Messenger (peace andblessings of Allah be upon him) repeated the last statements several times. TheCompanions wished that Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be uponhim) quit repeating it”(This Hadith is reported by Bukhari).
• Islam prohibits taking a deliberate and false oath. This type of oathis intentional and oriented to secure some unlawful gains. This oath is calledGhamoos [immersing] oath, as it would immerse the oath taker in the Fire ofHell. Allah, the Almighty, states in the Glorious Quran, Sura Al-'Imran [TheFamily of Imran] 3:77,“ As for those who sell the faith they owe to Allahand their own plighted word for a small price, they shall have no portion in theHereafter: nor will Allah (deign to) speak to them or look at them on the Day ofJudgment, nor will He cleanse them (of sin): they shall have a grievousPenalty”.
  
  Also, this is based on the Hadith of Allah's Messenger(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),“ Whosoever takes, by hisright hand [i.e., falsely and intentionally] the right of another Muslim wouldbe entitled for the Fire of Hell and would be deprived the entry of Jannah,Paradise. A man raised a question as follows: [would the doer be subjected tosuch punishment] even if the thing that he abuses from his Muslim brother'srights is negligible? Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be uponhim)commented, [Yes. It is so.] Even if the right of the Muslim brother was abranch of Arak [a wooden branch tooths brush]”(This Hadith is reportedby Muslim).
  
  The punishment of such a minor sin is so severe due to sizeof the heinous sin. Taking the rights of others falsely and abusing other'srights is such a significant sin in Islam.
• Islam denounces betrayal and breach of mutually agreed contracts.Islam enjoins upon Muslims to be truthful. Islam commands to fulfill promisesand warns against breaking promises and dishonoring contracts. Islam stresses onfulfilling all trusts to the right people and warns against denying even aninsignificant amount entrusted to a person as a trust. Allah, the Almighty,states in the Glorious Quran, Sura al-Anfal [The War Booties] 8:27,“ O yewho believe! Betray not the trust of Allah and the Messenger, nor misappropriateknowingly things entrusted to you”.
  
  Islam declares 'keepingsecrets' as one of the acts of trust. Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings ofAllah be upon him)is reported to have said,“ If a person said somethingto another person, then turned around [to make sure that there was no one elseto hear what he said to his Companion], such statement becomes a trust [secret]to the listener”(This Hadith is reported by Tirmithee and Abu Dawood).
  
  Similarly, Islam categorized seeking a consultation, as a trust as well.Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is reported to havesaid,“ A consulted person is entrusted [with whatever he hears from theperson seeking his consultation and honest opinion and advice]”(Ibid).
  
  In fact, Islam reflects a blend of faith and good trust. Allah'sMessenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is reported to have said,“ There is no faith for a person who is not trustworthy. There is no[principle] religion for a person who breaches his pledge of allegiance”(This Hadith is reported by Baihaqi and Ahmad).
  
  Moreover, the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is reported to have said,“ Ifa person possesses four vices he would be categorized as a full hypocrite. Ifone possesses one vice [of those four] he would be [one forth] hypocrite unlesshe cures himself from such a poor vice. These vices are as follows: 1) To liewhenever he speaks. 2) To break the promise. 3) To betray the trust. 4) Tobreach a covenant”(This Hadith is reported by both, Bukhari and Muslim).According to another narration of Muslim,“ A person would be categorizedas such even if he maintains his daily prayers, observes the fast of Ramadan,and claims that his is a Muslim”.
• Islam prohibits backbiting. Backbiting is to mention things aboutpeople that they hate to be known by among people, even if such points are true.This kind of act breeds hatred and disdain among people. Also, it jeopardizesthe honor and dignity of the person attacked. This is based on the Hadith ofAllah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),“ Do youknow what is backbiting? The Companions present at the time said, Allah(subhanahu wa ta'ala) and His Messenger know best! Allah's Messenger (peace andblessings of Allah be upon him) commented, [backbiting] is to mention something,in the back of a person, who despises for others to know about him. One of theCompanions inquired, O Prophet of Allah! What about if the point raised in theback of another person truly exists in him, would this still be categorized asan act of backbiting? Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be uponhim)commented, Backbiting is a vice that exists in the character of an absentperson. However, if the absent person does not possess such a bad quality, thenyou are committing a worst mistake and sin by deforming his character andpersonality [which is a grievous sin and accusation]”(This Hadith isreported by Muslim).
• Islam condemns hatred, contempt and resentment against others. Suchvices provoke to act in revenge in any possible way. Once, Allah's Messenger(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was asked,“ O Prophet ofAllah! Who is the best type of men? Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings ofAllah be upon him) asserted, Every warm hearted person and true person. TheCompanions who were present raised a question to Allah's Messenger (peace andblessings of Allah be upon him) saying, O Prophet of Allah! We know the trueperson. But, what about the warm hearted person? Allah's Messenger (peace andblessings of Allah be upon him) commented, He is the pious, pure person, the[almost] sinless, with no oppression [or transgression on the rights of others],a person who possesses no hatred or envy in his heart for others”(Reported by Tirmithee). Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be uponhim) illustrated to Muslims the results of envy as follows,“ Envy [andjealousy] eats up the good deeds as the fire eats up [burns] wood”(ThisHadith is reported by Abu Dawood).
• Islam disallows social boycott. Allah's Messenger (peace andblessings of Allah be upon him) is reported to have said,“ Do not boycottone another, do not turn your backs to each other, do not hate one another, donot envy one another and be all, slave-servants of Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala),like brethrens. A Muslim is not allowed to part with his Muslim brethren[purposely, as a result of a quarrel, anger or dispute] for more than three[nights]”(This Hadith is reported by both, Bukhari and Muslim).
• Islam refrains from cursing. Allah's Messenger (peace and blessingsof Allah be upon him) is reported to have said,“ People who cuss andcurse would not be permitted to be witnesses or interceders on the Day ofJudgment”(This Hadith is reported by Muslim).
  
  In fact, Islambans cussing and cursing even against enemies. Rather, Islam rather encouragesMuslims to pray for the guidance of such people to the Right and Straight Path.This is based on the Hadith of Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allahbe upon him), Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) wasonce asked,“ O Prophet of Allah! Should I pray against pagans and idolsworshippers? Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)commented, I am only commissioned as a mercy [for mankind] and I was notcommissioned as a cursor of others”(This Hadith is reported by Muslim).
• Islam condemns the practices of misery and being stingy with money.Islam considers wealth as a trust. Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) entrusted manwith handling for a specific period of time; the lifetime duration. Man is toemploy this gift, trust and wealth to spend wisely for his living expenses andessential needs. He is commanded to abstain from being lavish on unnecessary orluxurious items. A Muslim is also obliged to spend on his immediate familymembers, and other poor and needy relatives, neighbors and community members.Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is reported to havesaid,“ A treacherous, stingy and miser person who talks time and again,in every occasion and in every potential opportunity about his donation andassistance to other needy and poor individuals, would never enter Jannah,Paradise”(This Hadith is reported by Tirmithee).
  
  Allah'sMessenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is also reported to havewarned on disastrous consequences of a society where misery becomes a commonpractice saying,“ Be mindful of oppression. Oppression will representmultiple layers of darkness on the Day of Judgment. Be mindful of misery, as itdestroyed people before you. Misery compelled people [before you] to shed theblood of their own people [for nor legitimate reason], and pushed them to breakthe laws set for them as banned and forbidden”(This Hadith is reportedby Muslim).
• Islam disapproves lavish spending. Allah, the Almighty, states it inthe Glorious Quran, Sura al-Isra [The Night Journey], 17:26-27,“ Andrender to the kindred their due rights, as (also) to those in want, and to thewayfarer: but squander not (your wealth) in the manner of a spendthrift. Verilyspendthrifts are brothers of the Evil Ones; and the Evil One is to his Lord(Himself) Ungrateful”.
  
  Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings ofAllah be upon him), also, is reported to have said,“ Allah, the Almighty,restricts you to be disobedient to your mothers, to decline giving the poor andneedy for the cause of Allah, to ask people charity if you do not truly need it,and to bury girls alive. He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also,dislikes for you to tattle-tale, to often ask people to give you, and to wasteyour funds foolishly”(This Hadith is reported by both, Bukhari andMuslim).
• Islam disdains exaggeration. Allah, the Almighty, states in theGlorious Quran, Sura al-Baqarah [The Cow] 2:185,“ Allah intends everyfacility for you; He does not want to put you to difficulties. (He wants you) tocomplete the prescribed period, and to glorify Him in that He has guided you;and perchance ye shall be grateful”.
  
  Allah's Messenger (peace andblessings of Allah be upon him) is also, reported to have said,“ Offerglad tidings and do not chase people away. Ease the life of people and do notmake it difficult [and unbearable for them]”(This Hadith is reported byboth, Bukhari and Muslim).
• Islam castigates arrogance and false demonstration. Allah, theAlmighty, states in the Glorious Quran, Sura Luqman 31:19,“ And bemoderate in thy pace, and lower thy voice; for the harshest of sounds withoutdoubt is the braying of the ass”.
  
  Allah's Messenger (peace andblessings of Allah be upon him) is reported to have said, concerning arrogance,“ A person, whose heart contains an atom weight of arrogance, would notenter Jannah, Paradise”. One of the Companions who was present at thetime, asked Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),“ O Prophet of Allah! If one of us likes to wear good clothes and goodshoes, [how would he be looked at?]. Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings ofAllah be upon him) commented, Arrogance is to deny the truth and eat up therights of others and despise them”(This Hadith is reported by Muslim).
  
  Furthermore, Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be uponhim) also said,“ He, who drags his clothes [behind him] in arrogance,Allah, the Almighty, would not look at him on the Day of Judgment”(ThisHadith is reported by both, Bukhari and Muslim).
• Islam prohibits all acts leading to dispute, quarrel and feud amongstpeople. Allah, the Almighty, states in the Glorious Quran, Sura Al-Imran[The family of Imran], 3:103,“ And hold fast, all together, by the Ropewhich Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves; andremember with gratitude Allah's favor on you; for ye were enemies and He joinedyour hearts in love, so that by His Grace, ye became brethren; and ye were onthe brink of the Pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus doth Allah make HisSigns clear to you: that ye may be guided”.
  
  Similarly, Islam bansall forms of suspicion and evil thoughts about others. Allah, the Almighty,states in the Glorious Quran, Sura al-Hujurat [The Chambers] 49:12,“ O yewho believe! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible): for suspicion in some casesis a sin: and spy not on each other, nor speak ill of each other behind theirbacks. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay, ye wouldabhor it. But fear Allah: for Allah is Oft Returning, Most Merciful”.
  
  Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is alsoreported to have said,“ Avoid suspicion [and evil thoughts at any cost],as suspicion is the worst conversation one could ever make”(This Hadithis reported by Bukhari).
• Islam commands Muslims to be accurate in reporting. Allah, theAlmighty, states in the Glorious Quran, Sura al-Hujurat [The Chambers], 49:6,“ O ye who believe! if a wicked person comes to you with any news,ascertain the truth, lest ye harm people unwittingly,and afterwards become fullof repentance for what ye have done”.
• Islam suggests control over temper and the use of offensive language.This is based on the statement reported in the Hadith of Allah's Messenger(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),“ A Believer is not a personwho attacks the integrity of others, curses others, uses foul language and beunpleasant in his speech with others”(This Hadith is reported byTirmithee).
• Islam forbids showing happiness over the sufferings of others.Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)is reported to havesaid,“ Do not demonstrate any happiness upon seeing your brethren'stragedy [or catastrophe]. Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala)would be Merciful to thelatter and afflict you with such problems”(This Hadith is reported byTirmithee).
• Islam advises Muslims not to interfere with things that do not concernthem. Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) isreported to have said,“ One of the signs of being a good Muslim is tobecome unconcerned with areas that do not concern him”(This Hadith isreported by Tirmithee).
• Islam suggests control over anger. Allah, the Almighty, states in theGlorious Quran, Sura al-Shura [Consultation], 42:37,“ Those who avoid thegreater crimes and shameful deeds, and, when they are angry even thenforgive”.
• Islam despises attitudes of contempt and depreciation towards others.Allah, the Almighty, states in the Glorious Quran, Sura al-Hujurat 49:11,“ O ye who believe! let not some men among you laugh at others: it may bethat the (latter) are better than the (former): nor let some women laugh atothers: it may be that the (latter) are better than the (former): nor defame norbe sarcastic to each other, nor call each other by (offensive) nicknames:ill-seeming is a name connoting wickedness, (to be used of one) after he hasbelieved: and those who do not desist are (indeed) doing wrong”.
• Islam does not condone to acquire the assets of others. Such an actis bound to create hatred and provoke evil in the society and it would stirchaos in the community. This is based on the statement reported in the Hadith ofAllah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),“ Whoevertakes, by force, a right of a Muslim, Allah, the Almighty, would cause him todwell in the Fire of Hell on the Day of Judgment and restrict him to enterJannah, Paradise. One of the Companions who was present at the time inquired, 'OProphet of Allah! What about if the item that a person takes by force was littleand negligible? Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)commented, [that is the punishment] even of the item was as little andinsignificant as a wooden tooth brush from an Arack tree-roots”(ThisHadith is reported by Muslim).
• Islam rejects unjust ruling and sentences. A judge, in Islam, is anexecuting agent and not a legislature. If a judge becomes unjust in hisverdicts, then the judge is, actually, betraying the trust he is entrusted.Allah, the Almighty, states in the Glorious Quran, Sura al-Maedah [The Table]5:44,“ If any do fail to judge by (the light of) what Allah hathrevealed, they are (no better than) Unbelievers”.
  
  This is alsobased on the Hadith of Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be uponhim),“ The judges [in general] are three [classes], two of which are thedwellers of the Fire of Hell, and one is in Jannah, Paradise. A judge who knowsthe truth and judges accordingly would be dwelling in Jannah, Paradise. A judgewho knows the truth, but purposely deviates from it would be dwelling in theFire of Hell. [The third type of judges is a] judge who passes his sentencewithout possessing appropriate knowledge, such a judge would be dwelling in theFire of Hell as well”.
  
  One of the Companions, who was present atthe time raised the following question,“ What is the sin of the judge whowas not truly aware of the truth and reality of the case? Allah's Messenger(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commented, His [serious] sin is, heshould not function at the post of the judge until he is truly knowledgeable ofhis area”(This Hadith is reported by al-Hakim).
• Islam forbids talking ill about others and making fun of them. Allah,the Almighty, states in the Glorious Quran, Sura al-Humazah [Mocking], 104:1,“ Woe to every (kind of) scandal-monger and backbiter”.
• Islam forbids calling others with bad names. This is based on theverse revealed in the Glorious Quran, Sura al-Hujurat [The Chambers] 49:11,“ O ye who believe! Let not some men among you laugh at others: it may bethat the (latter) are better than the (former): nor let some women laugh atothers: it may be that the (latter) are better than the (former): nor defame norbe sarcastic to each other, nor call each other by (offensive) nicknames:ill-seeming is a name connoting wickedness, (to be used of one) after he hasbelieved: and those who do not desist are (indeed) doing wrong”.
• Islam restricts spying on others.Islam bans tapping on others by allmeans. This is based on the verse revealed in the Glorious Quran, Suraal-Hujurat [The Chambers] 49:12,“ O ye who believe! Avoid suspicion asmuch (as possible): for suspicion in some cases is a sin: and spy not on eachother, nor speak ill of each other behind their backs. Would any of you like toeat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay, ye would abhor it. But fear Allah: forAllah is Oft-Returning, Most-Merciful. Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings ofAllah be upon him) is reported to have said, A person who listens to the chat ofothers, who hate him doing so, would have heated liquidated lead in his ears onthe Day of Judgment”(This Hadith is reported by Bukhari).
• Islam bans tattle telling and warns the doer with a severe punishment onthe Day of Judgment. A tattle-teller breaks up amiable relationships betweenpeople and breeds animosity, and creates a situation of chaos in the society.Allah, the Almighty, states in the Glorious Quran, Sura al-Qalam [The Pen]68:10-11,“ Heed not the type of despicable man, ready with oaths, aslanderer, going about with calumnies”.
  
  Allah's Messenger (peaceand blessings of Allah be upon him) is reported to have said,“ Atattle-teller would not be allowed to enter Jannah, Paradise”(ThisHadith is reported by both, Bukhari and Muslim).
  
  One of the sure resultsof tattle-telling is the spread of rumors, hatred and anger among members of thecommunity. As such, this may lead to murders or a disorder in the community.Islam neither accepts nor condones such situation. Allah's Messenger (peace andblessings of Allah be upon him) is reported to have said,“ A Muslim isnot permitted to part his Muslim brethren [angrily] for a period exceeding threenights. If upon meeting one another every one goes in a different direction,shunning away from his Muslim brethren. The best of the two [disputing persons]is the one who initiates the greeting to the other”(This Hadith isreported by both, Bukhari and Muslim).
• Islam forbids the exploitation of others like destitute or theelderly. Islam is concerned to cement a well integrated society. Islam aimsat establishing an affectionate, loving, and fraternal community. Allah, theAlmighty, states in the Glorious Quran, Sura al-Nisa [The Women] 4:36,“Serve Allah, and join not any partners with Him; and do good to parents,kinsfolk, orphans, those in need, neighbors who are near neighbors who arestrangers, the Companion by your side, the way-farer (ye meet) and what yourright hands possess: for Allah loveth not the arrogant, the vainglorious”.
• Islam refrains from causing any inconveniences to neighbors in any formpossible. Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)isreported to have said,“ By Allah! A person would not become a [full]Believer! By Allah! A person would not become a [full] Believer! [Repeating thesame phrase twice.] The Companions asked, 'O Prophet of Allah! Who is thisperson?' Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commented,He is the one with whom a person whose neighbor is neither safe nor secureagainst [all of his] harms and evils”(This Hadith is reported by both,Bukhari and Muslim).

 

The source : Islam the religion of peace Prepared by:  Abdulrahman Al-Sheha. Rendered into english by:  Dr. Mohammed Said Dabas.